1. Feedwater Valve Selection: Although the feedwater valve must be designed so that it will flow the required water for full boiler steaming capacity, the flow rate from blowdown and the relief valves opening must also be factored into the sizing of the feedwater flow control valve. It is important not to oversize the valve too much to accommodate blowdown and pressure relief. A […]
Tips and Tricks for Installation and Operation of Draft Control
-Dan Wallace, PE 1. Make sure tubing is pitched downward to avoid condensation in the impulse lines. Liquid in the impulse lines can cause incorrect draft measurements and have adverse effects on fired equipment operation. 2. If the draft pressure sensor is located below the sensing point, ensure there is an adequate drip leg to collect condensation. 3. […]
NYC Local Law 87 Compliant Draft Control Strategy
Joe Wallace The induced draft (ID) fans at many NYC Department of Education schools are grossly over sized, causing problems including noncompliance with local regulations. These old boilers are not equipped with forced draft fans and rely on these induced draft fans, installed on the flue of the boiler, to create draft. Typically, these ID fans run at full […]
Combustion Tuning a Parallel Positioning System
-Dan Wallace, PE Follow these best practices to tune a Natural Gas burner. 1. Check the burner nameplate for the required gas pressure at the manifold at high fire. 2. Check the burner nameplate for the required supply pressure. 3. Light the burner off, and adjust the main gas pressure regulator until the desired supply pressure is obtained. […]
Nuclear Power: Clean and Sustainable
When we think “clean energy,” we often imagine fields of solar panels or wind turbines, but how often do we think of nuclear energy? Unfortunately, although nuclear is the second largest source of low-carbon electricity in the world behind hydropower, its often left out of the “clean energy” discussion. 1. Nuclear energy protects air quality Nuclear is a […]
VA Hospitals Invest in Boiler System Upgrades for Savings
By Dan Wallace See the article in Power Engineering here! Upgrading or replacing a boiler system presents one of the most daunting and expensive challenges a large facility can undertake. When the time comes—whether the current system is outdated and inefficient or it fails outright—facility management must understand the process in order to set facility management goals and […]
Combustion Air Requirements in the Boiler Room
Let Your Equipment Breath! Successful, efficient combustion requires three items: heat, fuel, and air. When designing a boiler room, the supply air needed can easily be overlooked. Boiler room supply air is the proper amount of air required for equipment to operate most effectively, including ventilation air. Without adequate air supply sizing, boiler room equipment can become inefficient, and […]
Preferred Prepared – NYT feat. Preferred controls
Preferred Utilities still has equipment from 30+ years ago functioning in New York City housing establishments. Lately though, We have taken on retrofitting projects that are focused on a sustainable future for NYC. This includes updated burners and controls, like the API burner and FlexFit Linkageless Controller, as well as Renewable Fuel options for eliminating carbon emissions, meeting […]
FlexFit Solution for Boiler Retrofits
Linkageless control technology makes boiler rooms more efficient and easier to operate In order to cut boiler room costs and solve end-user headaches, many boiler professionals are making the move to “linkageless” control systems. A linkageless system uses a burner with individual servos to control fuel and air ratios, and this in turn provides more savings to the […]
How to Secure Yourself Online
Luke Amory YOU are at risk and have a responsibility to keep your online identities secure. Use a password manager like Lastpass or 1Password. Use multi-factor authentication hardware keys like a YubiKey or a Google Titan Key. Check twofactorauth.org for supported services. Introduction Passwords– we all use them, we all loathe them, and they often fail us when […]